Sevres Saint Germain Hotel

On a street filled with numerous historic residential buildings, Sevres Saint Germain Hotel holds its own. The 17th-century facade has a row of hanging glass streetlights and wrought-iron window guards draped with plants and flowers. Inside, the lobby is dominated by the rough-hewn, exposed wooden ceiling beams that date back centuries. Underneath is a polished wood reception table and lobby bar. Past the wrought-iron banisters is a reception area with French colonial–style chairs and a beautiful cream-colored mantelpiece with ornate molding. The breakfast room is modern, with slate-gray walls and black seating. An outdoor patio has a few metal chairs, plants, and a tile floor, and offers a nice spot to read. The hotel draws mainly couples, but families, business, and solo travelers find their way here too.

Located in the 6th Arrondissement, Sevres Saint Germain Hotel is walking distance to major sights including Saint Germain des Pres, 11 minutes away, and Luxembourg Gardens, 12 minutes away. It's an area that was once a literary haunt for writers, like Simone de Beauvoir and Ernest Hemingway, who frequented the neighborhood's cafes. Many of those charming watering holes, such as Le Deux Magots and the Cafe de Flor, are still around -- albeit with sticker-shock prices -- and both are a 12-minute walk away. Today the area is more associated with high fashion, international restaurants, and high-end design stores, but it still retains its village-like charm. Multiple metro stops are nearby, including one just a four-minute walk away, making it easy to reach the major sights from this location -- the Louvre is about a 20-minute metro ride from the hotel, and the Eiffel Tower is about a 30-minute trip by metro. Charles De Gaulle Airport is about about a 40-minute drive from the hotel, and Orly Airport is about a 25-minute drive away.

The 30 rooms at Sevres Saint Germain Hotel vary in their decor, but they're all chic with a pastiche of traditional and modern style. Wooden ceiling beams add a vintage touch, exposing the building's 17th-century origins. Stylish details range from a blond-wood armoire lending a Scandinavian look to French colonial-style wardrobe painted metallic gray. Other details in rooms include copper pendant lights and molded plastic chairs. Most headboards are covered with a bold contemporary fabric, such as a black-and-white honeycomb print, and bed sizes range from double to queen. Bathrooms have modern fixtures and shower stalls or shower/tub combos, but in some the marble tiles could use a refresh. All rooms include well-stocked minibars, flat-screen TVs, safes, free newspapers, and free Wi-Fi. In general rooms are average size by European standards, ranging from 140 square feet to 226 square feet (13 to 21 square meters).

As a small hotel, the Sevres Saint Germain doesn't have many common areas. Breakfast is available for a reasonable fee, and guests give it positive reviews. And the lobby bar gives guests a reason to hang out in front of the beautiful vintage fireplace. A computer is available for surfing the web, but there is no business center or fitness room. Shuttle to the airports and train station is available for a fee, and Wi-Fi is free throughout.